Call to Worship: John 15:1-8

Here’s a responsive call to worship inspired by John 15:1-8. It was written by Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith.

Call to Worship

(inspired by John 15:1-8)

We are branches, rooted in the vine of Christ.

We come because we seek to abide in Christ.

The branches that remain in the vine bear much fruit.

We come because we long to be spiritually vibrant, alive, productive.

If we abide in Christ, then Christ’s words will abide in us.

We come because we strive to be faithful disciples.

We gather for worship now to the glory of the One God: 

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.

May we grow wildly as God tends us lovingly. 

~ written by Joanna Harader (2011) and posted on Spacious Faith. https://spaciousfaith.com/2011/02/02/wednesday-worship-pieces-3/

Contemporary Call to Worship: John 15

Here’s a contemporary call to worship based on John 15:1-8, the gospel reading for the fifth Sunday of Easter (Year B).  It was written by Katherine Hawker.

Call to Worship

(based on John 15:1-8)

The vine emerges from the earth,

nourished

and nourishing.

     Rises without visible connection;

     roots hidden,

     promise unknown.

Strong to withstand storms,

fragile when plucked too soon.

     So it is that we grow…

     nourished by invisible connections to the living God,

     called to nourish that which is seen and that which is yet buried within.

— written by Katherine Hawker for the Evangelical United Church of Christ.  Posted on Liturgy Outside.  

For more calls to worship on this blog, see the Call to Worship Index at the upper right side of the page.

Prayer for Others: Rooted in the Vine

Here’s a prayer of intercession from the Church of Scotland’s Weekly Worship website. It was written by Rev. Fraser Penny, inspired by John 15.

Prayer for Others

(inspired by John 15:1-8)

Jesus Christ, the true vine,

in our need we come to You,

in weakness,

needing Your strength

for we too easily become dry and lifeless

without Your life-giving spirit.

Jesus Christ, the true vine,

teach us to remain in You

and so to find Your life flowing in us

giving strength and vigour to our discipleship.

And as we come closer to You

our lives are drawn closer to others.

Our minds turn to images of violence we have seen on the news

in places of fear and terror,

to where people are at loggerheads,

over race, religion, land, power.

Our thoughts turn to Christians living with persecution

who face danger, simply for being linked to You.

Father, prune back all that stands in the way of peace.

Our thoughts turn to people in leadership and power –

who have decisions to make over the economy

and people whose jobs and livelihood will be affected.

We pray for our nation, and its leaders.

May changes and choices be shaped by the values of the kingdom.

On our hearts are people in need in our church and community.

Wherever hearts are breaking,

   bodies are failing,

   minds are confused

   families are ruptured:

Lord, come with Your help and healing.

Here, too, as Your church gathered today,

we give thanks for the saints of the past

and the fruit they have borne in our community and beyond.

Like them, help us to remain in You

that we may be fruitful and bring glory to Your name.

Through Jesus Christ, the true vine. Amen 

~ written by Rev. Fraser Penny, Minister of Dunkeld Parish Church, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Weekly Worship website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/48423/A_29_April_Fraser_Penny_5_after_Easter_formatted.pdf

Prayer of Thanksgiving: For Love

Here’s a responsive prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of love. It was written by Bruce Prewer and posted on

Prayer of Thanksgiving: For Love

(inspired by 1 John 4:18 and similar passages)

Let us give thanks for the remarkable gifts

of God’s creating and redeeming love,

 the loving that casts out all fear.

For the love that frees us to ask questions and explore,

to frame doubts and investigate new possibilities,

to build theories and then cross-examine them.
We thank you, God of adventurous love.

For the love that enables us to marvel at our own existence,

to ponder and remember,

recognize our own needs

and affirm our own knowledge and purpose.
We thank you, God of determined love.

For the love that helps us to communicate with one another,

to express trust and respect,

share heartaches and visions,

to convey love and mercy.
We thank you, God of reconciling love.

For the love that inspires us to warmly encourage those around us,

to affirm and build up, comfort and enlighten.
We thank you, God of nurturing love.

For the love that liberates us to celebrate the world around us

 in poetry and song,

to delight in shapes and colours, intricacies and patterns,

awesome forces and deep mysteries.
We thank you God of visionary love.

For the love that encourages us to express something of our faith;

for creeds and prayers, hymns and readings,

discussion groups and sermons.
We thank you, God of creative love.

Above all else we thank you

for the love that allows us to admit

that we have no words in which to adequately describe

the process of faith in Christ,

the awesome worship of our God,

and the holy wonder of the Spirit.

We thank you for that point where

our love becomes wordless adoration.

Through Christ Jesus,

who is the pure glory of your loving. Amen! 

~ written by Bruce Prewer and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page. http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Call to Worship: Finding God

Here’s a call to worship from the Presbyterian Church USA website.

Call to Worship

We worship the God who inhabits our world

and indwells our lives.

We need not look up to find God,

we need only to look around:

   within ourselves,

   beyond ourselves,

   into the eyes of another.

We need not listen for a distant thunder to find God,

we need only listen to the music of life,

   the words of children,

   the questions of the curious,

   the rhythm of a heartbeat.

We worship the God who inhabits our world

and who indwells our lives.

~ posted on the Presbyterian Church USA website. https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/peacemaking/pdf/mlk-resources.pdf   

Prayers of the People: Like a Seed

Here’s a prayer of intercession from Terri on RevGalBlogPals.

Prayers of the People

For all the blessings of this life,
we give thanks to You, Creator God.
For families, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers,

who nurture us, that the love of God may grow within.

That Your love, your Word, like a seed,

may grow to produce in us, good fruit.

May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For the leaders of various nations and cities,

that they may lead with strong hearts and gentle hands and generous spirits,

with compassion and mercy, with wisdom and grace.
May they reflect your will guiding all their actions and decisions.

May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For those who serve in harms way,
those who live in dangerous places,
those who live in areas of war and strife,
those who live in fear,

those who worry about employment, bills, food,

and struggle just to find dignity in life.
May your grace bring peace and safety to all people, one to another.

May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For those who suffer from any illness or dis-ease—

of mind, body, or spirit.
Restore these, and all those we carry in our hearts, to fullness of health—
health as only you, O God, can bring.
May your mercy shower each of us with healing mercy and love.

May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For those who are dying, and for those who have died.

Send forth your comforting love.
Give solace to those who mourn.
Console those who grieve.
May your grace surround us

like a mantle upon our heads,
a shawl upon our shoulders,
a hand, to hold our hand.

May your love, be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.
Amen

— written by Terri and posted on RevGalBlogPals. http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.ca/

Prayer: Renouncing Fear

Here’s a prayer from lutheran julia. It was posted on RevGalBlogPauls.

Renouncing Fear: A Prayer

“Say to those who have an anxious heart,

‘Be strong; fear not!’” Isaiah 35:4

Phantasm of fear, I renounce you!

I refuse to call you “spirit” for you are not of God.

You work to oppose the creative forces of the Lord in life and resurrection.

Your efforts will not last.

And you know this.

Delusion of fear, I renounce you!

You may talk loudly, boastfully.

You may bring your buddies, death and destruction, as backup to your threats.

You know your days are numbered.

There is no fear in the life to come.

Specter of fear, I renounce you!

Your work of dividing, fomenting, pain-causing…

We will overcome. With God on our side,

You cannot stand.

Perfect Love, the kind that comes from Christ, casts out fear.

Revenant of fear, I renounce you!

Shrivel and die, you impotent thing!

You may plant, but you will not reap.

You may build, but you will not inhabit.

You may fish, but you will not catch.

There is no home for you, no toe hold, no place of belonging.

You are banished to wither and die… fertilizing the soil of hope and joy.

So be it.

In the name of Christ, so say we all.

~ written by lutheran julia and posted on RevGalBlogPals. https://revgalblogpals.org/

Invitation: Come with what you have

Here’s a call to worship or litany of confession and assurance inspired by Jesus’ command to love one another.  It was written by Katherine Hawker, and posted on Outside the Box.

Litany of Call and Confession

(inspired by John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7)

Come with what you have.

For you who grieve this day

know that you are invited to bring the broken pieces of your heart.

Loved by one another,

we discover God's love for us.

Come with what you have.

For you who come with gladness

know that your melody will find harmony.

Accepting God's love for us,

we are called to love one another.

Come with what you have.

For you weighed down by too many 'shoulds' and 'what-ifs'

know that here you may lay down the burdens of guilt and shame.

Loved by one another,

we discover God's love for us.

Come with what you have.

For you who have the answers,

know that new questions await you.

Accepting God's love for us,

we are called to love one another.

Come with what you have.

For you who come seeking,

know that your questions are safe in the presence of God.

Loved by one another,

we discover God's love for us.

~ written by Katherine Hawker, and posted on Outside the Box. http://liturgyoutside.net/

Call to Worship: Love One Another

Here’s a call to worship inspired by John 13:34-35 (or 1 John 4:7).  It was written by Katherine Hawker, and posted on Outside the Box.

Call to Worship

(inspired by John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7)

Jesus offers a new-old commandment,
that we should love each other.

With the incredible power

and the unfathomable depth
of God's love for us
we can
we must
love one another.

And it is in this
our love for one another
that the world will know
whom and what we worship. 

Come, children of God, 

let us love one another.

~ written by Katherine Hawker, and posted on Outside the Box. http://liturgyoutside.net/

Prayer: The Love of Jesus

Here is a prayer for Holy Week (and beyond) from John Birch.

Prayer:  This is Love

This is love.
Not that you spoke words of comfort,
walked with the unclean and unloved,
shared wisdom, bread and wine,
brought healing into lives
and challenged the status quo.

This is love.
That you spoke the word of God,
walked a painful road to the Cross,
shared living water, bread of life,
brought Salvation to the world
and died for the sake of all.

This is love.
It is a seed
sown in the ground,
which germinates,
blossoms,
and spreads its sweet perfume.

~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

Prayers of the People: John 15: 1-8

Here’s a prayer of intercession inspired by John 15:1-8.  It was written by Rev MaryAnn Rennie, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.

Prayer of Intercession

(inspired by John 15:1-8)

Vine of life,

in Your branches we are nestled

taking shelter and sustenance in the shade of Your strength.

With thanksgiving

we celebrate the growth and hope

we have found in placing

our roots in You,

for in life You nourish us

and Your Holy Spirit encourages us

to reach our full potential in the gifts we have been given

that others may know of Your love.

Lord,

make us more than sour grapes and unripe olives.

In the hardships of the world

may we look beyond the bitter politics and divisions

to find Your love

at the core of our relationships.

There may all people work with what we have in common

that we might grow to be a people of respect and trust.

May our branches bow

with the weight of the fruit you have bestowed.

Help us to look beyond our own needs,

to recognise those

who are hungry for food, love and justice.

May we offer others the shelter needed

under the weight of Your branches

so they find a rest from the cold and darkness,

the hatred and loneliness of this world.

Instead may Your Spirit enable us

to value the gifts and talents of all.

May our leaves soak up Your light.

When we meet those who are worn down

with illness, loneliness, grief and abandonment,

may the light of Your presence shine

in the encounters they have with others

that all might know Your compassion.

Gardener of all life,

as You trim and shape us for Your purpose

may we place our prayers into Your hands

and trust that new seeds may grow

from tired and empty thoughts.

Amen.

~ written by Rev MaryAnn Rennie, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.  http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/

Litany: 1 John 4: 7

Here’s a litany inspired by 1 John 4:7.  It was written by Katherine Hawker.

Litany

(inspired by 1 John 4:7)

God calls us to a ministry of love.

Beloved, let us love one another.

We are called to love our parents and our children,

our friends and our neighbors.

Love is from God.

We are called to love the neighbor that hurt our feelings,

the parent who was cruel,

and the co-worker who is selfish.

Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

We are called to love even the people we cannot see....

in Chicago’s tenements,

in Bosnia’s war,

in South Africa’s elections.

Those who love God must love their sisters and brothers also.

May we accept God’s call to this mysterious ministry.

Amen.

~ written by Katherine Hawker,1994. Posted on Liturgies Outside. http://liturgyoutside.net/

Call to Worship: Psalm 22

Praise the Lord,

all you who worship the Holy One!

You children of Jacob, come glorify God! 

You children of Israel, stand in awe of the Lord of Hosts!

All who hunger,

come eat your fill at the Lord’s table.

All who seek the Lord,

sing praises and worship the God of glory!

Confession to the Divine Gardener

Here’s a prayer of confession which uses a gardening metaphor.  It was written by James E. Janecek.

Prayer of Confession

The Divine Gardener cannot sow seeds of justice and peace

where there is nothing but hearts of dry, hard rocks. 

We confess that our hearts may need tilling

and the digging out of the deeply rooted sins

that crowd out seedlings planted with divine compassion.

God of steadfast love,

you change bitter tears of remorseful hearts

with raindrops  of mercy,

Now let us germinate a new life, growing with integrity!

God of steadfast love,

you change the cold shame of contrite hearts

with sunrays of mercy

Now let us sprout a new life, growing with honesty!

God of steadfast love,

you change the stony edges of repentant hearts

into landscapes of mercy,

Now let us branch out into new life, growing with generosity!

Assurance of Pardon

Divine Gardener,

You tend us in steadfast love,

Unending mercies, and eternal faithfulness;

you cultivate true friendship with you

through boundless forgiveness. 

In Christ, this faithful love is planted in our hearts. 

Gathered as your community of believers, our family of faith,

with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us,

we can now produce forgiveness for each other as we are forgiven.

Thanks be to God!

~ written by James E. Janecek , in Seeds of Faith:  Service Prayers for the Nineteenth  Sunday after Pentecost.  Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways archive.

http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/year-c/p/pentecost-ordinary-time-21.html

Prayer in Times of Violence and Fear

Here’s a prayer for peace from the PCUSA website.

Prayer in Times of Violence and Fear

Almighty, all-merciful God,

through Christ Jesus you have taught us to love one another,

to love our neighbors as ourselves,

and even to love our enemies.

In times of violence and fear,

let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,

so that we may not be overcome with evil

but overcome evil with good.

Help us to see each person in light of the love and grace

you have shown us in Christ.

Put away the nightmares of terror

and awaken us to the dawning of your new creation.

Establish among us a future where peace reigns,

justice is done with mercy, and all are reconciled.

We ask these things in the name

and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ From a collection of Prayers for Times of National and International Crisis and Tragedy, posted on the PCUSA website. http://www.pcusa.org/

Confession: Sift Our Thoughts

Here’s a prayer of confession from Bruce Prewer.

Confession & Assurance

We come to God, not to justify ourselves but to repent and trust the saving grace of Christ Jesus.

Let us pray.

Look upon us, loving Saviour, sift our thoughts

and assess our feelings.

Deal firmly with those things that have inhibited our love

and diverted our energies.

Loving God, whatever you see

as self-righteous, censure,

as twisted, straighten,

as heartless, soften,

as fruitless, prune,

as infected, cleanse.

Flood your relentless Spirit through our whole being,

sweeping away guilt and its lethargy,

and by the saving grace of Christ Jesus,

heal the hidden springs of our personality.

Thank you, Holy Friend, for answering our prayers

before we get round to asking them,

and for doing much more than we ask or think.

Through your Son and our Saviour;

Amen

Words of Assurance

In Christ Jesus we are a radically renewed community.

Thanks be to God!

Old things are done away with, all things become new.

Thanks be to God!

We are agents of grace and reconciliation.

Thanks be to God!

With every step or stumble, Christ will be with us.

Thanks be to God!

~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page. http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Prayer: Producing Fruit

“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord,

and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.” Colossians 1:10

Lord, we would grow with you
and bring forth fruit
that is pleasing to you
fed by your living water
giving sustenance to others
Lord, we would grow with you 

~ contemporary Welsh prayer posted on A Place for Prayer. http://revgalprayerpals.blogspot.ca/

Prayer: Psalm 22

God, you promise never to forsake us,

but to bring us to life,

nurture us with your presence,

and sustain us even in the hour of our death.

Meet us in our deepest doubts

when we feel abandoned,

drowning in our fear of your absence.

Visit us in the tension between our yearning and our anger,

that we may know your mercy and grace in our time of need. Amen.

~ from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.  Posted on Thematic, Intercessory and Scripture Prayers for the RCL, Vanderbilt Divinity Library. http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Responsive Psalm: Psalm 22

Here’s a 21^st century exploration of Psalm 22 from Francis Macnab.

Responsive Psalm

(Psalm 22)

God, we read that people in the past

believed in you; and you apparently gave them

the strength they sought.

So why are you so distant from me?

There have been times when I have reached out to you,

but you looked the other way!

My disillusionment comes under criticism from so many people.

And those I thought were my friends, fail to support me.

Truth is, in my heart of hearts,

I know that you gave me life at the beginning,

and I felt you cared for me.

But now I need you to be closer to me,

because nothing makes much sense anymore, 

and there are so many huge problems gathered around me.

In all this tale of misery,

I am talking to you because you know

my feelings and failings.

And you will save me—even from my own negative thoughts.

I continue to believe in your Presence

which is more powerful

than I can really understand.

You have planted within us the awareness

of a love which is eternal, yet very important and personal.

I continue to believe that people are valued by you,

even when they fall away from you.

You let that happen: but you go on feeling the pain

and you are ready to support them 

in their difficulties.

You are the Eternal God of us all:

and I dedicate myself anew to you.

Regardless of my feelings of insignificance and inadequacy,

I am in awe as I try to find a way to worship you.

One thing I can do.

I can be a carrier of your love

to people all around me.

~ written by Francis Macnab, in A Fine Wind Blowing.  Posted on the Rex AE Hunt website. http://www.rexaehuntprogressive.com/

A Prayer for Growth

Here’s a contemporary Welsh prayer from A Place for Prayer.

Lord, We Would Grow With You

Lord, we would grow with you
New shoots reaching out
Hands stretched upward
Like leaves newly formed
Soaking up your light and warmth
Lord, we would grow with you

Lord, we would grow with you
In sunshine and rain
In darkness and light
In cold days and summer days
From Springtime to Winter
Lord, we would grow with you

Lord, we would grow with you
And bring forth fruit
That is pleasing to you
Fed by your living water
Giving sustenance to others
Lord, we would grow with you

~ contemporary Welsh prayer posted on A Place for Prayer. http://revgalprayerpals.blogspot.ca/